american whitewater expeditions

Background Disclaimer: Our daughter is a rafting guide with American Whitewater Expeditions (AWE). We believe we are capable of discerning if our reviews are biased.Verdict: Our daughter chose to work with AWE as a rafting guide because they are considered possibly the most competent, safety conscious rafting company on the American River. Being safety conscious (such as requiring that everyone wear a helmet and requiring that all guides be safety certified - not all guiding companies do this) doesn't mean that they and you won't have a blast on the water. Plus the owner, Arni, has a military background, which means he knows how to organize so as to maximize your fun time and minimize your waiting time.Seeing the smiles on everyone's faces, not just on the guides, but on the guests as well, confirmed this. Plus this is a multinational guiding crew, with guides from Argentina, Germany, New Zealand, et al. These guides are hard working and live to be on the water.Don't forget to ask about Ewok Village! To paraphrase the Terminator, (Arnold Schwarzenegger - former Governor of CA), We'll be back!

Having never rafted, I wasn't sure what to expect. My husband and I went on the South Fork trip and never came close to any kind of danger. I think we both wished we'd tried the Middle Fork instead because it would have been a bit more thrilling and we would not have been surrounded by kids (we were the only 2 without kids the day we went). The three guides who we interacted with were all really nice and pretty passionate about rafting. They were friendly but also perfectly efficient. Lunch was fast and great (I thought we might have to sit around for a long time during set-up or clean up but they were so quick). We didn't camp there, although the facilities look nice.I hope to go rafting again and I would definitely choose AWE for another trip.

My husband, 12 yr old son and I had never white water rafted before and were advised to do the South Fork trip. It was PeRfEcT! We did the full river tour. We arrived at the camp at 8:30 am for sign ups and orientation. The peeps were very friendly and accommodating throughout the entire process (parking was weird) Our trip began w a 20 min bus ride up river to where our raft and guide was waiting. We put our helmets and life vests on, were assigned our guide and hopped on the river for quite the adventure. In our opinion the full river trip is the way to go! Its a long day but if you are going to do it, we say do it right! The first 6 or so miles is almost as exciting as the last several of the gorge before Folsom Lake. I can't say enough about this Outfitter and its employees. From the guides to the bus driver, Oh, and the photographer Kevin is really good! Gustavo AKA Crusty the Clown (heeee heeeee) was our guide. This Argentinian's ability to make you feel that your safety is his number one priority throughout the trip was very comforting and allowed us to relax and really enjoy the river. All that being said, this guy knows people almost as well as he knows the river. He and a couple of the other guides make fun of the entire day! He joked and played had fun all at the same time being a pro at traveling that river and the crazy rapids!! Daniel from New Zealand was also great to listen to and visit with, its great to hear their stories and how they became guides. Lunch was wonderful and there was plenty of it!This was our first ww trip and as we rafted the river we say many other outfitters. We could tell that we definitely chose the correct company. AWE's equipment is top notch, just like their guides. We saw some with no helmets (children included!!!!!) This river is dangerous and any company that would put people on it without helmets is not looking out for the best interest of their customers.I HIGHLY recommend AWE! AND GUSTAVO! Thank you for a great time!

We took a large group (41 people) for 2 days of whitewater rafting and kayaking. The guides were well informed, fun and provided outstanding training. The food was really good and plentiful. Water level was low due to drought restrictions and the river was a little crowded but the guides made it fun. We highly recommend this group.

Went rafting with these characters today, middle fork of the American river. I cannot begin to tell you how much fun this was, but here is the quick version.We took advantage of the free camping the night prior to our trip, nice facilities, nice campsites. We had packed out own breakfast, but the breakfast they served looked way better. They will even rent you a tent with sleeping pads for a small fee, although we brought our own. The rental tents looked pretty nice, fairly new and in good shape.The drive to the put in was kind of long. Over an hour on some pretty twisty roads. The last 12 miles, down the hill is brutal. If you are prone to car sickness, bring a barf bag.The rafting was awesome, it starts off as soon as you hit the water and keeps on coming. Tunnel chute is awesome, as is bus crash, cleavage, parallel parking and chain saw. The list goes on and on, all great rapids. These guys will turn around and paddle back into the rapid to "surf", which is really fun also. We stopped for lunch on a slow spot of the river. The food was really nice. Kind of a make your own tortilla wrap. Great vegetables, turkey and roast beef, cheese, everything you could want, and PB & J if you desired. Cookies for dessert, can't beat that on a raft trip.Our guide was Gordy, from New Zealand, and you could not ask for a better guy. Funny, great stories, knowledgable about local history. Made the trip even better to be in his boat. Plus he leads the whole tour, so he knows his stuff. The other guides seemed awesome as well, I don't think you can go wrong with this group.The views from the river are great, you can even float some of the rapids, but I don't suggest doing the first one they offer, it's a little violent. The after lunch ones are just fine.The best rapids are prior to lunch, but the ones after lunch are pretty good also, just not as many. Our two teens thought this was an awesome trip, you could not wipe the smiles off their faces even hours later. Memories they will carry with them forever (I hope).This was our third raft trip in the area, if you are a first timer do south fork instead. Kids under 12yo, south fork. Middle fork is kind of rough. If your kids or you are out of shape, do south fork. Watch some of the videos on YouTube if you want to see what it's like before you go, you won't be sorry.

It has been more than 20 years since our last white water rafting experience, but this full day on the Middle Fork with Tom as our AWE guide, was the best!!! We chose to be picked up in Auburn as we were staying in Lake Tahoe and this location was best for our schedule. Upon being picked up we were introduced to most of the drivers and the guides, with assurances that any valuables left in the shuttle vans would be safe as the drivers stayed with the shuttle the entire day.After our safety talk and life jacket fittings, our guide Tom made sure we all got a little wet within about 15 seconds of setting off, and kept it up the entire trip so we never had too much of a chance to get too dry. The cold water and warm sun made for an exciting - and drastic - change throughout the trip. Tom's friendly banter with the 'crew' was engaging and his self-described titles of the various rapids had us waiting in anticipation with each dip of the oar.After running the "Chute" we we headed to shore for a great lunch and a few minutes of down time to search for gold on the clear river bottom (no luck). The rafting trip was exciting and the scenery was beautiful.We're hoping Tom is our guide again next year, cause we're going again!

This was the first time whitewater rafting for my daughter(25) and me. We did the day and half trip with 2/3 level rapids. We had a fantastic experience. We did the camping at their site, had their meals and did the southfork gorge and chilibar trip. Everything was excellent. Good safety talks, excellent guides, wonderful food, and the best people. Couldn't recommend it any higher. The showers and toilet area were clean and well taken care of.

I love whitewater rafting. This was my 5th trip to the American River. On my previous 4 trips I have always used a different outfitter. This year I knew i would go with AWE again. Last year, I was blown away by the amount of time that was spent on safety and really explaining what could go wrong and how to handle the unpredictability of any whitewater adventure.I typically travel with first timers and I can not emphasize enough how much more enjoyable it is for folks who are looking to have a good time but still have reservations around the inherent risk in whitewater rafting. Our guides Daniel (South Fork) and Tom (Middle Fork) are professionals who guide year round by travelling across the globe. The outfitter AWE had new equipment this year. New rafts, vests, and helmets.They send their groups out with satellite phones and their guides have extensive first aide training. My girlfriend who is not as gung ho as I am really appreciated it. This was her second trip and it was great to see her relax and enjoy the river going from surviving the rapids to having a great time. She also noticed and appreciated the commitment to safety. Next year she will be going back for the fun and not just the cute guides!I honestly do not do a lot of camping but I have no complaints the campground was spacious. The rented tents were set-up on my arrival were clean and the facilities (showers/restrooms) were cleaner than any other camping facilities I have been too at this price point.The food was good and portions generous. I did not go hungry. I can't wait to go back next year.

Just returned from two separate days of rafting with AWE over Memorial Day weekend. We were a group of four families with kids aged 10 to 16 and had an absolute blast. Our entire group did a half day on the South fork then split the second day with one doing a different section of the South and the Dads and kids 12 and over did the full day on the middle. From the minute we started with our briefing at every point we felt we were in great hands. And the only thing they took more serious than having fun was safety. Arnie the owner is present and handling multiple tasks which means he's tuned into the client experience. Our guides (Chris, Steve, Brian and Zonker) were obviously well acquainted with the river and in addition to having the skill and knowledge to run the river and return everyone, they put a high priorty on humor and had great local knowledge. Other points worth noting: its obvious they invest in equipment...the rafts were new, the life jackets didnt smell, the vans were clean. Lunch was great and the BBQ was awesome. The cook, Jodi I think, has won some competitions and the food was top notch. Throw in microbrew on tap and a high def slide show of the days pics and it topped off a great day. I wouldn't use anyone else on our next trip!

Ask for guide Stacey, she was great. We took the day trip in the lower gorge because our kids 11- 14 had never rafter before. The trip is a relatively easy one so if you want something more exciting try the upper gorge. Lots of fun games to play as a family during the quite parts of the river. We did not spend the night at the campsite but it looked clean and organized. The river is cold!! Especially if you are from Florida.

We went on a 1 day South Fork trip with American Whitewater Expeditions and had a great time. Excellent guides, high quality equipment, good safety instruction and gear and very professional staff. Rafting is really fun, and the river is beautiful. Highly recommend.

Im sure many companies can get you in a raft and take you down the river. The staff of American Whitewater Expeditions take it to the next level. Not only do they create a relaxing and fun environment but they believe in service. Just one example is when I forgot some needed medical supplies on the rafting trip. The owner (Arnie) did not hesitate to drive a great deal out of his way to get me what I needed. They take care of you above and beyond what is expected. I'd give them 6 stars if I could.

Our group of 11, ranging from 8 years to 63 years went rafting with this company a few weeks back. All of us had a great time. We arrived pretty late the previous night and appreciated having the tents all set up for our camping experience. Breakfast next morning was good - plenty of options for some of us vegetarians. The rafting trip itself was a memorable experience for all of us. We were in 2 rafts and both guides were fantastic, funny, interacting with all ages quite nicely. The lunch break was timely and wraps were delicious ( we were starving by then:-). Do take along some energy bars on the raft if you're going with kids! The real excitement was after lunch and our guide expertly navigated us through the rapids. The trip ends up near Lake Folsom where all the rafts are threaded together and towed to a location from where you get a shuttle ride back to the campsite. Bathroom facilities were clean, and showers had hot running water.I highly recommend this establishment and will consider going on a similar trip with them again.

Our family decided to celebrate Mother's Day weekend with a trip to Gold Country. Our 11 year old was especially excited to go rafting. Mom was excited to sleep in ;-) American Whitewater Expeditions had just the trip to satisfy both of us - the South Fork Express - a half day that unlike other abbreviated 2 hour options was a full 4.5 hour river experience. We showed up at noon and were quickly signed in and on the river in less than 30 minutes. Our guide was Steve and he was perfect for our family - safety conscious but willing to let our adventurous son stretch his boundaries so that he was left feeling like he had the experience of a lifetime. At the same time Steve put our more cautious and somewhat nervous 8 year old daughter at ease with his easy manner and low key attitude about upcoming rapids. Her ear to ear grin after the first rapid said it all!We all had a wonderful time on the river and every part of the experience with American Whitewater Expeditions exceeded expectations. They are a professional outfit that delivers a top notch experience.

While I am not a huge fan of rafting, my husband wanted me to try again. I am so happy I did. It was a blast. The staff here was great. They were friendly & helpful the entire time. The location was beautiful and the campsite and restrooms/showers were clean and obviously well cared for. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the area and took us on a great adventure. The entire day was wonderful. Great location, great staff and great fun. I will defintely go back!